The things we take for granted

We work from behind the scenes with our partners to improve lives. These are the stories of the things we take for granted, and the many ways we make a difference across the European Union.

Support for startups

When Ena returned home to Croatia during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she struggled to find a job. So, she decided to launch a startup focused on microbiome analytics and prebiotic production. She was able to scale her business with support from Technology Park Split, a hub for tech entrepreneurs that was built with our support.

Fighting brain drain

Artemios is an archaeometry researcher. He investigates the trade routes of ancient Greek civilizations using methods from physics and material science. For several years, he conducted his research abroad at universities in England and Cyprus. Upon learning about a funding opportunity from the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation, he returned to Greece with his young family.

Reliable transport

Monika lives in the western part of Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Every day, she travels to her work in the north. Until recently, she had to take a bus through the congested city streets to the nearest metro station, making her commute long and stressful. Today, the trip takes just 45 minutes, thanks to the Metro Line 5, which was built with our support.

Renewable energy

Joan and his father run a dairy farm in Overijssel, the Netherlands. They have three barns. In the past, the roofs contained asbestos and were in such poor condition that only two were operational. Today, the buildings are asbestos-free and the newly renovated roofs have been fitted with solar panels, thanks to an initiative we helped to finance with Univé, an insurance company, and Energy Fund Overijssel. It’s a good deal for Joan and it means clean electricity for the community.

Sustainable irrigation

Lucía and her brother run a grape vine nursery in northern Spain that their father founded in the 1970s. In the past, it was a struggle to access the water needed to irrigate their plants. In 2021, their village was connected to a sustainable irrigation system built with our support that brings water from the Navarra Canal. Their nursery is now more efficient, productive and resilient to the impact of climate change.

Affordable housing

For a long time, Anselm struggled to find a place to live in Dublin, Ireland, until he became eligible for social housing. In July 2023, he finally moved into an affordable home run by Focus Ireland. It changed his life. The new apartment block was financed by the Irish Housing Finance Agency with our support.

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2 March 2023